All Dressed Up, But Not For Long

Thursday

Sep 5, 2013 at 5:17 PM

Jimmy Snuka diving onto Magnificent Muraco

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

It was the Summer of 1983 and I was preparing to go into the fifth grade. At that point in my life, I was a very, very casual fan of wrestling. In fact, a year prior, I hated it. But something happened that summer that burned in my brain and has stuck with me ever since. I'm certain it's my first memory of the WWF. Until then, I had seen World Class Championship Wrestling and Wrestling at the Chase, so I was vaguely familiar with Andre the Giant, the Von Erichs, and Ric Flair.

But that summer night, I remember I had a group of friends over, and we were flipping the channels on the newly installed cable box and came across wrestling on the USA Network. It was WWF. I didn't know any of the names at the time, but the Magnificent Muraco was being interviewed (by the legendary Buddy Rogers) about being the Intercontinental champion. During the course of Muraco was running down the baby faces on the roster, when "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka made his way to the ring to wrestle some no name guy.

Definitely not PG

Muraco viewed this as disrespect and walked to the ring, got up on the apron, mouthed something to Superfly, and then hocked a loogie his way. This of course incensed Snuka who did his patented leap over the top rope onto the champ. He then proceeded to rip the suit coat and dress pants off Muraco as the two threw fists of fury at one another. Muraco used the microphone to bust open Snuka and commentator Vince McMahon described in detail the flow of blood that was coming from the Superfly's head. He had to describe it because there was a giant red X with the word CENSORED printed on it covering up the action.

The two then engaged in a classic feud, which was highlighted with Snuka climbing the top of a cage and delivering his Superfly Leap onto a prone Muraco. I thought for sure he was going to win the title that night, but lost on some sort of technicality.

Anyway, that is my first memory of WWE/F television. It's part of the reason I'm still a fan, some 30 years later. What moments do you remember that made you become a fan of the business?

It was the Summer of 1983 and I was preparing to go into the fifth grade. At that point in my life, I was a very, very casual fan of wrestling. In fact, a year prior, I hated it. But something happened that summer that burned in my brain and has stuck with me ever since. I'm certain it's my first memory of the WWF. Until then, I had seen World Class Championship Wrestling and Wrestling at the Chase, so I was vaguely familiar with Andre the Giant, the Von Erichs, and Ric Flair.

But that summer night, I remember I had a group of friends over, and we were flipping the channels on the newly installed cable box and came across wrestling on the USA Network. It was WWF. I didn't know any of the names at the time, but the Magnificent Muraco was being interviewed (by the legendary Buddy Rogers) about being the Intercontinental champion. During the course of Muraco was running down the baby faces on the roster, when "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka made his way to the ring to wrestle some no name guy.

Definitely not PG
Muraco viewed this as disrespect and walked to the ring, got up on the apron, mouthed something to Superfly, and then hocked a loogie his way. This of course incensed Snuka who did his patented leap over the top rope onto the champ. He then proceeded to rip the suit coat and dress pants off Muraco as the two threw fists of fury at one another. Muraco used the microphone to bust open Snuka and commentator Vince McMahon described in detail the flow of blood that was coming from the Superfly's head. He had to describe it because there was a giant red X with the word CENSORED printed on it covering up the action.

The two then engaged in a classic feud, which was highlighted with Snuka climbing the top of a cage and delivering his Superfly Leap onto a prone Muraco. I thought for sure he was going to win the title that night, but lost on some sort of technicality.

Anyway, that is my first memory of WWE/F television. It's part of the reason I'm still a fan, some 30 years later. What moments do you remember that made you become a fan of the business?